Granderson’s intentions at the
plate are pretty clear. He finished the 2015 season as part of a group of four
players — Chris Davis, Brian
Dozier, and Brandon Moss representing the
others — to produce simultaneously one of the league’s 10 lowest ground-ball
rates and 10 highest pull rates. At the plate, in other words, he intends to
hit the ball in the air to his pull side. And like those other three players,
Granderson recorded strong power numbers last year. Building further on such an
extreme approach is unlikely, however. And, at 35, Granderson is a candidate to
suffer the baleful effects of age. That said, the projections suggest that he’s
capable of doing enough to provide at least a couple wins.

Should Granderson miss time, Juan Lagares would be the most immediate beneficiary.
Displaced from his starting role in center by the return of Yoenis Cespedes, Lagares will serve as the club’s
fourth outfielder, perhaps working in an occasional platoon capacity with Michael Conforto. The possible lingering effects of a
right elbow injury create some doubt, however, that he’ll retain the elite
defense he’s exhibited in previous seasons.

Mack – The Baseball
Cube has Juan Lagares playing 507 games in center, 130 in left, and 133 in right… it
then has 420 in left field, 383 in center, 355 in ‘outfield’, and 112 in right
for Alejandro De Aza. Neither one stands out as a
right fielder, but both have a proportionate amount of appearances there. One
thing for sure is it won’t be Cespedes. He hasn’t played game one in right.

OF Ivan Wilson - “He’s made a lot of improvements. He’s
always had great tools and he’s been working on his ability to put them into
games consistently, turning those tools into skills. He’s had a really good
spring doing that and working on that. The results have started to show on the
field.”

Mack - Was an ‘almost
prospect’ drafted in the 3rd round of the 2013 drafted as a 17-year
old straight out of high school. Tremendous speed, but that’s about all he has
showed so far, hitting .214 over the past three seasons. Will play 2016 as a 21-year
old so there still is no rush here. Still,
he needs to get out of Kingsport where he has played the last two seasons. It
will be either Brooklyn or Columbia on opening day.

IF Phillip Evans - “Every time I look over, it seems like he’s making another play,
or hitting something hard. He’s stood out in that way.”

Mack – Evans has
been very disappointing since being ‘stolen’ in 2011 as a 15th round
pick that had told everyone he was going to go to college. Was originally
projected as the 3rd most talented shortstop that season coming out
of school. Has hit .236 over five seasons in the Mets system and has now played
St. Lucie twice, first in 2014 (389-AB, .247) and lastly in 2015 (252-AB,
.234). I assume he will move on to Binghamton to back up Amed Rosario. Still only 23.

C Tomas
Nido - “He has had a really good camp and could step it up during the season
to become the next ‘guy,'. He’s hit the ball exceptionally hard this spring.
His defense has been really good. His catch and throw skills — he’s made some
great throws this spring, throwing out some good baserunners. He’s shown a lot
of things on the field.”

Mack – Another ‘almost
prospect’ was Nido, who was drafted in the 8th round of the 2012
draft. Came straight out of high school and got off to a slow start; however,
hit .277 for Brooklyn in 2014 and .259 for Savannah last season. Put up a
little pop last season (6-HR, 40-RBI) and could bypass St. Lucie where Colton Plaia and Lednier Ricardo are projected to catch.

One impressive thing this spring is hitter contact. Dom Smith, 2 Ks in 29 PA. Johnny Monell, 2 K in 35 PA. de Aza 4 in 46 PA, TDA, 4 in 39 PA, TJ Rivera 5 in 35 PA, and Flres 7 in 54 PA, Monell making a great case for Plawecki to go back to AAA for steady playing time.